202 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



which the leaves and stalks of the vine may be applied, 

 are taken from a letter in the Philosophical Magazine, 

 No. 119, signed James Hall. 



' From experiments which I have made, I find that, 

 on being dried, which should be done in the shade, and 

 infused in a tea-pot, the leaves of the vine make an excel- 

 lent substitute for tea. I have also found, that on being 

 cut small, bruised, and put into a vat or mashing-tub, 

 and boiling water poured on them in the same way as is 

 done with malt, the prunings of the vine produce liquor 

 of a fine vinous quality, which, on being fermented, makes 

 a very fine beverage, either strong or weaTc, as you please; 

 and on being distilled, produces an excellent spirit of the 

 nature of brandy. In the course of my experiments, I 

 found that the fermented liquor from the prunings, parti- 

 cularly the tendrils, when allowed to pass the vinous, and 

 to run into the acetous fermentation, makes uncommonly 

 fine vinegar." 



To this observation we beg to add, that we have lately 

 tasted wine made from the summer prunings with a small 

 addition of sugar, that was very superior to the common 

 wine made in this country from water, grapes, and sugar ; 

 and that the vinegar made from the tendrils and prunings 

 was of so excellent a quality, that it would sell for as high 

 a price as most of the continental wines sell for from 

 the press. 



Vine-leaves, as well as the tendrils, have an astringent 

 taste, and were formerly used in diarrhoeas, haemorrhages, 

 and other disorders requiring refrigerant and styptic me- 

 dicines. The juice or sap of the vine, called lachryma, 

 has been recommended in calculous disorders, and is said 

 to be an excellent application to weak eyes and specks 

 of the cornea. The tendrils of the vine were eaten as a 

 pickle by the Romans. 



